The Slender Waist-Chapter 622 - 449: The White-Robed Appointment

Ao Zheng’s reply came quickly, he did not wait overnight and had someone come over that very evening.

In front of Pei Jue, he made an exceedingly modest apology.

Feng Yun had just finished bathing and was wringing her hair by the stove when she heard Pei Jue talking with someone outside the door. She pricked up her ears and slowed down.

After a while, footsteps approached from behind, steady and with a familiar presence stopping behind her.

Pei Jue leaned in and took the towel from her hands to help her dry her hair.

"Why don’t you let the maidservants attend to you?"

Feng Yun said with a smile, "Because the king doesn’t like having outsiders in his room, ah. I don’t want them staring at you either."

Half joking, half serious, there was little emotion in her words.

Pei Jue paused, his movements becoming even gentler...

Feng Yun noticed his change and smiled faintly, half-closing her eyes to let him serve her. Surrounded by a tender aura, she felt cozy and warm all over, so she simply leaned against his chest.

Pei Jue supported her with his arm.

There was a good moment of silence in the room.

No one spoke, yet the atmosphere was very peaceful and affectionate.

Sometimes, Feng Yun actually quite enjoyed these moments with Pei Jue. He wasn’t one for sweet talk, but he didn’t trouble her either, giving a sense of dependable security...

Although Feng Yun, due to experiences from her previous life, would be cautious and remind herself not to get too absorbed, she couldn’t help liking the feeling.

Who wouldn’t want to be pampered and spoiled, to live like an indulged, carefree idler?

She was determined and strived to start anew, not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t dare to.

The stove warmed her soothingly, lulling her towards sleep.

Pei Jue finished combing her hair and asked in a deep voice, "Shall we go to the couch to sleep?"

Feng Yun hummed in affirmation, yawning, "What about you?"

Pei Jue said, "I still have matters to attend to."

Only then did Feng Yun turn around and look at him strangely.

He had matters to attend to, yet he stayed to dry her hair.

She said, "Then you should go quickly. It’s cold, finish up early and get some sleep sooner."

Pei Jue looked at the concern in her eyes, lightly stroked the hair by her cheek, and said lightly, "Ao Zheng has ordered Liang Huanzhang to serve in plain clothes."

It had been reported to him, and he needed to issue an instruction regarding it.

Feng Yun curved her lips, "I guessed as much."

Serving in plain clothes was actually a lenient treatment for noble officials and certain powerful or favored officials.

Plain clothes referred to the attire of commoners. Of course, before investing in an official position, scions of the nobility are also considered commoners. In other words, this person would still hold the original position but wear plain clothes as a form of mild punishment for high-ranking officials.

This kind of punishment was quite informal. It sounded unforgiving, but in reality, the penalty wasn’t severe.

However, it was a reasonable punishment for Liang Huanzhang.

After all, he hadn’t done much wrong: smashing up the tea house was due to suspecting spies, and offending the Emperor was because he didn’t know the Emperor was inside, so it couldn’t be blamed on him.

Feng Yun looked at Pei Jue’s expression, "The king must be afraid that they will wield power frivolously and cause trouble outside, right?"

Liang Huanzhang was Ao Zheng’s man, which, in the eyes of others, made him Pei Jue’s man.

If these people weren’t properly disciplined, who knows what big trouble they might cause someday, resulting in an unmanageable situation.

Just like the incidents with the Marquis of Xuanping and the Prince of Yonghuai... When the time comes, it’s hard to clear one’s name when smeared with mud all over.

"The king’s concerns are valid. But actually, I am the least worry-free of all..." Feng Yun looked at Pei Jue with a smiling gaze, her lips curving slightly, "I often take advantage of the king’s power to behave recklessly. Does the king also think of punishing me?"

Pei Jue looked down, "You’re different."

Feng Yun deliberately asked with a smile, "How am I different?"

Pei Jue’s brows raised slightly, "You’re my person. Husband and wife are one."

Feng Yun started to laugh, playing with the lapel on his chest, "So that’s why you should indeed be wary of me."

Pei Jue lowered his head, "Fine, I’ll be more cautious in the future."

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Feng Yun’s lips curled in amusement, "Then go about your business quickly. Don’t delay too long; I’ll wait for you on the couch."

As she spoke, she embraced Pei Jue’s arm.

Pei Jue started slightly, then wrapped his arms around her in return, parted her long hair that fell down, and kissed her face.

Feng Yun was caught off guard for a moment, "What’s the matter?"

She turned her face away slightly, looking suspiciously at the man whose breathing was irregular.

Pei Jue looked at her with furrowed brows, "Didn’t Lady Yun want this?"

Feng Yun: ...

She was just concerned that he was busy in such cold weather; where would she have such thoughts?

"If you don’t want it, then never mind." Pei Jue withdrew his hand and sat her on the couch, ready to move on with a resolute attitude whether she wanted it or not.

Feng Yun found it somewhat funny.

"Then go and come back quickly."

Pei Jue’s recently calmed breath became erratic again.

"We can deal with this matter tomorrow."

Feng Yun: ...

Pei Jue glanced over: "Wait for me to wash up."

In this matter, he really was not polite—whenever Feng Yun showed the slightest hint or trace, he would follow it up and find every possible way to have his way with her a couple more times.

Since Feng Yun learned about Pei Jue’s physical condition from Puyang Jiu’s mouth, she no longer viewed him as a beast but rather felt that this man actually struggled with considerable restraint.

With his current power and status, let alone finding a woman to vent, even if he sought out ten or a hundred, no one would dare to gossip.

But among all the men Feng Yun knew, Pei Jue could be considered the most self-disciplined.

So sometimes she would indulge him, even if it meant enduring some discomfort, even if it meant opening her body to withstand more...

At most, she would just pinch him a few times more, and that would be it.

Pei Jue was truly capable.

He went on non-stop until the fourth watch of the night before lying down with heavy breaths, lightly squeezing her wrist.

"Is Lady Yun tired?"

Feng Yun lay there like a dead person, too lazy to even move her fingers, only looking with pity at her new brocade bedding. The fine and soft material was extremely comfortable to sleep on, but now it was so crumpled by that stinking man, some places were like twisted pickles, wrinkled into a lump...

"Look at what you’ve done to the fine fabric, just ruined it." She took the opportunity to scold him.

"I’ll compensate you," Pei Jue grabbed her hand and kissed it.

He had kissed her many times tonight as if he couldn’t get enough, fondling repeatedly. Feng Yun watched with a frown, "How will you compensate?"

Pei Jue said, "When I return to the capital, I will send several bolts of tribute silk to you."

"Tribute silk, eh." Feng Yun laughed softly, "So the Prince of Yonghuai can also be blinded by lust, listening to a woman’s words."

Pei Jue raised his eyebrows, "To gain a virtuous wife and thus show my affection,"

Feng Yun laughed and turned her face into his chest, wrapping her arm around him, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Pei Jue looked down at her blurry laughing face, the corners of his lips curved up, revealing a smile.

She didn’t see his smile.

But at this moment, their mutual feelings were clear.

Their marital life was broadly pleasant, free from entanglements and worldly concerns.

Feng Yun suddenly felt stunned, realizing in this moment—she and Pei Jue were a harmonious and loving couple rarely seen among ordinary husbands and wives, respecting and accommodating each other without quarrels or fusses, a virtuous couple indeed.

The two of them chatted under the covers for a while, and Feng Yun didn’t realize when she had fallen asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already broad daylight.

Pei Yao came to the villa, bringing a pile of things, saying she was there to take Azuo and Azuo back, but she was actually beating around the bush, inquiring about Liang Huanzhang’s matter.

The concern in Pei Yao’s tone was very apparent.

Subconsciously, she also protected Ao Zheng.

Although they were divorced, having been husband and wife, she clearly didn’t want Ao Zheng to make a mistake and take the wrong path.

Feng Yun kept her company, exchanging a few pleasantries, but didn’t give a direct answer.

It wasn’t suitable for her to say much given her status.

Unexpectedly, Pei Jue didn’t give face to his elder sister. In front of Pei Yao, he was far less generous than when he spoke to Feng Yun, his words paced and cold.

"If elder sister truly pities your brother-in-law, you must restrain him well. Don’t wait until it’s too late to regret," he said.

Of course, Pei Yao wouldn’t admit that she was still worried about Ao Zheng, and her face turned slightly red right away.

After leaving Changmen, she took Azuo and Azuo straight to the Ao Family Residence, intending to reprimand Ao Zheng, but unexpectedly, he wasn’t home. Instead, she encountered two concubines who had come over from Xijing.

The concubines had just arrived at the door in their carriage, chirping and chatting, saying they had come to welcome their master back to the capital.

Pei Yao didn’t allow them to bear children to secure her own children’s positions, but she had never treated them harshly in terms of food, clothing, and living arrangements.

Thus, although the two concubines hadn’t had children, they had lived a pampered life over the years, dressed up glamorously, looking indeed younger and more beautiful than Pei Yao who had given birth to three children...

Pei Yao remained unmoved.

Her maidservant Chang and two servant girls were already fuming with anger.

"Madam has been too kind to them, which led them to overstep their bounds and even come to Andu."

Pei Yao: "He and I are already divorced. There is no need to say these things."

The servants hurriedly shut up.

When the concubines saw Pei Yao, they paused, exchanged glances, and quickly came forward to greet her.

"Concubine pays respect to the Madam."

Pei Yao’s face darkened, she didn’t respond, took her children, and turned to leave without leaving a single word.

Chang sighed to herself inwardly.

She was an old-timer by Pei Yao’s side, following her from the Pei Residence to marry into the Ao Family, and knew her affairs better than anyone else.

Pei Yao, with her proud and lofty spirit, was also unable to be ruthless; this was the root of the problem.

If Pei Yao had been more decisive and had sold the two concubines years ago, what could Ao Zheng have done? She had to wait until things came to this point with the divorce...